A Phantomhive Descendent
by HarrahBug
Summary: Mira Phantomhive runs into fate in the shape of a white haired angel that thrusts her back in time to Victorian London where she meets not only one of her long since passed relatives, but his handsome black clad butler. Mira comes to know of the secrets of her bloodline as well as the secrets of her past. And, who knows, maybe there's romance involved.
1. Chapter 1

The bell over the entrance gave a soft ping as the door opened and brought in a great gust of frigid, winter wind along with the flushing face of one of our frequent guests.

"Welcome back, Master!" I called out cheerfully, holding my round tray to my chest giving him a small bow. He gave me a nervous smile and rubbed the back of his neck, his light brown hair falling in front of his hazel eyes.

"I'm glad to see you're here, Mira-chan. I was afraid it might've been your day off," he said, stripping off his coat and scarf as he took a seat at a nearby table. I shook my head and gave him a bright smile.

"It's always a pleasure to see you as well, Master! Would you like your usual order?" I asked brightly, pulling out my order pad and pen.

"If you wouldn't mind," he blushed, looking up at me with eyes full of innocent longing.

"I'll have it out right away!" I beamed, already walking back towards the kitchen where I knew Hiro was waiting to take orders and Layla was forcing herself to throw-up the two dollar cupcakes our manager, Gai, had bought us this morning in the sink. Before I had even clipped the ticket onto the order-go-round, Hiro had already snatched it from my fingers and was pulling out the ingredients necessary for the customer's Orange Lovely Omlette.

I sighed, leaning against the counter and debating whether or not I should help Layla hold back her hair or chew her out for making me take on her section while she spewed her guts out all over the kitchen sink.

"We wash dishes in there, you know," I commented matter-of-factly, my hand reaching out to grab a chair.

"Mira, you have a request," Gai said, poking his head in through the curtain. I frowned before pushing the chair back to its original position. I quickly plastered on my happy façade and made my way out into the dining area where several guests were enjoying their meals as they interacted with our nearly all female staff.

"Welcome back, Master!" I greeted with a smile, my requester already seated at a small table by the window.

The man that sat before me was tall and slender, the black trench coat he wore covered almost all of his face apart from the swirling lavender eyes shaded by his wavy, ivory hair. As my eyes met his, he folded down the collar of his coat to reveal his smiling face. I bit my lip as I felt unease crawling up my spine. He was strangely attractive and unlike any other character I'd seen visiting Maid Café before. I fought to keep my smile as it was and not changing into one of nervousness and embarrassment.

"Is there anything I can get you, Master?" I asked, praying he'd make his order quick and easy. The man smiled and shook his head before speaking.

"Have you ever wanted to go somewhere impossible?" He suddenly asked. I stared down at him in thought before nodding my head and glancing out the window.

"Where would it be?" He wondered. I bit my lip, my eyebrows crinkling together. I thought of all the wonderful things I loved in life, only realizing much too soon that there wasn't anything I particularly loved or even cared about in the life I lived. So, it wouldn't really matter where I went. I didn't care. I shrugged my shoulders as I returned my eyesight to his.

"I suppose I'd like to go back in time and see the world as it once was before. Before all of this existed, before there were cars and internet and phones. That'd be interesting, yeah?" I replied with an honest smile. Before there was such a person as Mira Phantomhive. The man gave a large grin as if to agree with my answer before placing an order for a Banana-Blueberry Pom Pom Smoothie.

"Have a good night, Mira! Be safe going home!" Layla called out to me as she left; I gave her a backwards wave in response, my mouth was full of peanut butter and chocolate chips. A few moments later and I was all alone in the entire shop, it was my responsibility to close up. I gave the kitchen an extra once over to ensure all had been taken care of before locking up the front door and carting the trash out to the rear door.

"You sure do get off late."

I dropped the lid of the trashcan and held my chest in a panic.

"Oh. You scared me," I laughed breathily, dropping the trash into its respectable bin. The ivory haired man pushed off the wall of the adjacent building and approached me with his hands jammed inside the pockets of his coat.

"Sorry, I wasn't meaning to," he smiled charmingly. I shrugged it off.

"Not to be rude or anything, but we're really not supposed to mingle with the customers outside of work," I warned, zipping up my jacket over my work uniform.

"Oh, I just need your time for just a moment, Mira-chan," he reassured. I sighed and fought against the urge to tell him to get lost. That wouldn't be good for business.

"If there's a request you'd like to make, I'm here from 10:30 to 6 tomorrow. I'd be happy to meet any of your –"

"It's not a request I'm making," he said, cutting me off. I frowned in agitation.

"Then what is it you –"

"I'm simply here to give you a little push in the right direction," he said, giving me a close-eyed smile. I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion.

"What right direction?"

The man leaned unbearably close and I could feel his breath brushing over my lips.

"Somewhere impossible." And then he withdrew his hands from inside his coat pockets and placed them on my shoulders before giving me a hard, sound shove. I toppled through the open back door, my feet slipping out from beneath me. My arms flailed forward to try and grasp something, anything to stop my descent to the floor. But there was nothing in my reach and my head quickly struck the hard, tiled flooring. All I saw was the man's close-eyed smile before the world around me went black. My head was spinning. Even though I knew my body was no longer in motion, I felt as if I were still falling. Forever and ever. The blackness was never-ending.


	2. Chapter 2

I gave a loud groan at the pain in my head and fought against the building urge to vomit. The air around me was hot and thick, my jacket felt as if it were suffocating me. It took a few moments to regain my senses and not long after did I realize that I was in a very tight place. There was no light, no sound, no nothing. I let my hands wander around the compartment in which I rest in and felt my heart beating behind my ears. What is this? A coffin? A gasp left my mouth, my hands flying up to push on the top in an attempt at escape. It came off with ease and I quickly sat up to take in a breath of fresh air.

"What the hell?" I breathed out, my hand resting over my racing heart.

"Oh, you're awake. I was hoping you were dead," came a soft cackle from the corner of the room. I jerked my head to the side and found a man with long, silver hair wearing black and gray robes with a black top hat. His hair covered the top half of his face, only a wide grin and a slim nose could be seen.

"Who are you? Where am I? And why was I in a coffin?" I inquired, throwing my legs over the side of the coffin and hopping out onto the floor. I admired its sleek, black wood for a single moment before turning my attention back to the strange man that now stood very close, too close for comfort. I stumbled back a step, placing my hand on a nearby table to steady myself.

"Earl, it seems as if your road kill is alive after all!" the man laughed, his attention seeming to be on someone other than me in the room. I glanced back and found a young boy of about fourteen with an eye patch standing at the side of a tall, pale man with black hair and ruby eyes dressed as a butler. The boy stepped forward, his expression almost entirely devoid of emotion.

"You jumped out in front of my carriage and was nearly run over. My butler here managed to save you in time though," the boy said almost accusingly. I frowned and shook my head.

"Carriage? I don't know what you're talking about," I denied, my memory bringing up a blank.

"Young Master, I believe the lady was already unconscious when she fell onto the road," the butler suddenly spoke up, a smirk lifting up the corner of his mouth.

"Do you have an illness?" This question was directed at me.

"A what?"

"An illness. Does it cause you to faint?" the young boy's gaze was intense and I found it hard to concentrate on his words.

"What? No, I don't –"

"Do you even know what happened?" he asked me as though he were growing irritated. I blew a raspberry and clenched my hands at my sides.

"No, I don't know –"

"Who is your master?" I jerked my head up at his question and narrowed my eyes.

"My what?"

"Your master. You're dressed as a maid, so I assume you have an employer. What's his name? Is he a nobleman?" I shook my head violently.

"I'm not a real maid, I just work at a maid café!" I explained. "I don't have a 'master'. I don't even think maids exist anymore!"

The room grew silent and I found all eyes on me as if I were some strange being sent from outer space.

"Look, just tell me where I am so I can go home," I sighed, bringing my hand to my forehead. I felt hot, this room was way too stuffy. I stripped off my jacket and tied it around my waist.

"You're at the Undertaker's coffin shop. We brought you here because it was on the way and he has at least some experience with bodies," the boy said in explanation. I rolled my eyes.

"Because it's normal to bring an unconscious teenage girl to a mortician," I muttered under my breath.

Pulling my phone out of my jacket pocket, I powered it on and clicked on Google Maps.

"What's the address? Oh, never mind. I'll just use My Location." I clicked my tongue behind my teeth as I typed in my address, but a route wasn't popping up on the screen. The buffering sign just kept going round and round in circles.

"No service? What the hell am I paying for every month?" I grumbled at the realization that I didn't have a single bar of reception. Suddenly, my cell phone was plucked from my grasp and I felt my heart nearly freeze. It was between my fingers one moment and in the next it was all the way across the room in the hands of the boy's butler.

"What do you think you're doing? That's mine! Give it ba –" I cried out as I stalked forward to retrieve my stolen item only to trip over my own feet and stumble forward. I caught on to the butler's sleeve and used it to hoist myself back up into a standing position.

"What is this?" the boy asked, his eyes scanning over my phone as if it were a foreign object.

"It's a cell phone and it's mine, so give it back," I glared hatefully at the boy. I didn't appreciate him touching my things without my approval.

"A cell phone?"

"Yes. What? Have you never seen one before? As rich as you appear, you sure don't seem as if you know anything about technology," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. He looked up and met my eyes, his gaze showing much more maturity than his age should have allowed. His eyes suddenly narrowed in on my neck and I found myself gulping down a mouthful of thickened saliva.

"What?"

"How did you get that?" He asked, motioning towards my chest. I lifted my hand up and touched the ring that rest just above my heart.

"This? It's a family heirloom. I inherited it when my grandfather died. Why? What does it matter?" My mind felt like mush. I just wanted to go home and lay down. Sleep sounded far too good at this moment.

"What is your name?" He asked, leaning against the cane he held in his right hand and stretching his legs out as if to block the entrance.

"Mira. Do I get yours?" I responded, clutching the ring tightly in my grasp.

"Ciel. What's your last name?" He pushed. I frowned.

"Phantomhive."

"This is ridiculous," I groaned, scraping my hands down my face. The bracelet dangled noisily on my wrist, the ruby red stone glinting irritatingly in the candlelight. It's been about a week since I'd woken up in a coffin and as soon as I'd spoken my name, they'd taken me in and put me on house arrest. Sebastian, Ciel's personal butler, had even gone as far to put this bracelet on my wrist – or should I say tracker? Apparently, it was a way for him to keep tabs on me, but there was no technology involved. I stared down at the jewelry and scowled, before throwing my legs over the side of the bed and yanking myself up onto my feet.

"There's no way this thing is a tracker," I growled and once again, for the thousandth time, attempted to yank the bracelet off. It didn't budge.

"The fuck is this thing made out of?" I sighed, shaking my head and heading towards the door. Undoubtedly, it was locked, just like it had been for the past seven days. But every morning, I woke up, got dressed, washed my face, tried breaking the bracelet, and then attempted to break down the door. It never worked, so I didn't expect anything to come out of today's attempt. After twelve pushes, four roundhouse kicks, and a solid punch to the door frame, I gave up and slumped to the floor. It was useless and I knew that, but it didn't hurt to try.

"You're very lively in the morning," came a low, chuckling voice by my ear. I gasped and jerked to the side, hiking one leg up to use either as a shield or a weapon, I wasn't sure.

"How did you get in here?" I hissed, straightening up once I'd realized who was invading my quarters.

"Through the window, Lady Mira," Sebastian replied with a close eyed smile as if it were normal to come in through the window. He offered me a hand and, after staring at it for a moment too long, accepted his help in standing.

"The Master wishes to see you now," Sebastian said, opening the bedroom door with ease. I stared dumbfounded for a moment. Was the door open the whole time? I very nearly smacked myself in the face five times over.

"It's a pullie, not a pushie…"

"Pardon?" Sebastian seemed to say with a snicker.

"Nothing. Where is Ciel?"

"He's waiting for you in his study."

I followed the butler down the hall, up the stairs, to the right, then the left, through a door, passed the lobby, through the drawing room, and… I was thoroughly confused by the time we actually reached Ciel's study. By then I had such a headache it was hard to tell left from right and up from down.

"My Lord, I've brought you Lady Mira Phantomhive," Sebastian announced upon my entry. I shook my head. Lady? What is this? Victorian London? Am I in England now?

"Am I supposed to curtsey or something?" I asked aloud, a frown adjourning my mouth. "Wait, are prisoners even allowed to curtsey? Should I bite off one of my own fingers out of boredom then? It wouldn't be a burden, _My Lord_ , I was at the point of doing so already locked up in the room you so kindly lent me in my stay here at… What is this? A mansion?" I scoffed. "Figures…" Great, I've been abducted by a prissy little rich boy with a black butler.

I honestly wasn't as mean of a person as I was acting. I was just severely unhappy with the situation I was put in. I didn't know where I was, how I got here, or how to get home and the only people that'd I'd had the courtesy of speaking with insisted upon keeping me as a permanent house guest.

It was silent for a good long minute and when I finally looked up from my shoes, I found that Ciel was looking at me with half a smile and a peculiar look in his eyes. Did I see humor in those sapphire irises?

"Have you finished or was there something else you'd like to say before we continue?" He asked, his voice light with humor. I bit my lip and shook my head. That was something I shouldn't have said in the first place. At least he was giving me a warm bed to sleep in and good food to eat. I suppose, in a way, I was fortunate to be found and taken in by him.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out unintentionally, then slapped a hand over my mouth as if I could take the words back. My eyes were wide as they stared at the dark haired, blue eyed boy.

"I didn't mean to say that," I admitted.

"What didn't you mean to say exactly?" Ciel inquired as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

"I didn't mean to apologize, I don't intend to take my words back," I said, wringing my hands out behind my back.

Ciel chuckled as he leaned back in his raven colored chair.

"At least you're honest, Mira Phantomhive."

"Why do you say my name like that?" I asked with a frown.

"Like what?"

"Like you're mocking me. Just because you have wealth doesn't mean you're any better of a human being than I am." Ciel raised his eyebrow at me and crossed one leg over the other.

"I say your name as such because it is not your name. Tell me, who are you really?" Ciel urged, bringing his cup of tea to his lips. I watched as the steam twirled in the air like ribbons in the wind.

"What do you mean by that? I was born with this name and I did not lie to you about it. How offended would you be if I claimed that your name was not your own?" I ground out, my patience for this nonsense was running out. Ciel's expression suddenly turned sour. I felt a shiver go down my back at the severity of his stare. I didn't get a sense of loathing from him, not even irritation or anger. It was something… much more dangerous and cunning. Who on earth could this boy be? I watched as he withdrew a chain from his pocket, the blue stone of the ring that dangled from it glinted in the light shining through the windows. I gasped and grasped at my throat. It was gone, the heirloom was gone!

"That's mine! Give it back!" I shouted, my voice giving out the slightest quiver.

"Where did you get this? Did you have it forged?" Ciel questioned, placing the ring upon his desk.

"What? No! I told you, it's a family heirloom. My grandfather –"

"I'm growing tired of your silly little games," Ciel sighed, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. "And I have no time for your lies. Sebastian."

A shadow fell over my frame and I looked up to find the black butler, his eyes had turned from ruby red to a glowing fuchsia. That was the first time I had truly felt terror. His hand came down over my eyes as the cold silver of a blade pierced my back. I fell victim to the darkness, only this time, I welcomed it.

Third POV

The cinematic record that presented itself before Sebastian and Ciel Phantomhive was unlike anything they had ever seen before. There were towers made of glass, automobiles far beyond the level of technology of their time, men and women in clothes that had not yet been invented. The street that bustled with hordes of people, surrounded by blinking lights and stairs that moved and moving pictures encased by a black box and glass. What world was this…? And then there was her, Mira, laughing and serving, acting like a maid in what seemed to be a shop of some sort. Everything that they were seeing was so foreign to them, they didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't until they'd come to the day of her coming here that they had an inkling of what had happened. A man with platinum hair and an air of mysticism about him. There was no doubt in Ciel's mind of what he was. A beast far more twisted than a demon.

They then came across the beginning of her cinematic record. A mother and father stood before the Phantomhive mansion, a small child standing at the mother's side. The mansion was encased in bright red and yellow flames, it scorched high into the sky and painted the world the color of the sun. Two figures stood at the door frame, one much taller than the other.

The mother held up a ring, its color much deeper and purer than that of a sapphire. She placed it in the child's hands and watched as she stared at the stone almost as if she were mesmerized.

"Is this really what's for the best?" the mother asked, turning towards her husband. He faced his wife, his blue eyes and black hair showing a striking resemblance to not only Ciel's father, but Ciel himself.

The man smiled and cupped his wife's face in his palm.

"It's time that we moved on."


	3. Chapter 3

Mira's POV

I forced myself awake and sat up into a sitting position. My body ached as if I'd been struck by a thousand knives. Looking around, I found that I was in a different, much larger room than the one I had been inhabiting before. My hand flew to my neck and felt the whole of my body relax when I touched the cold metal of the ring at my breast. I picked it up and drew it to my lips. It was all that I had left of my family and I was Hell bent against losing it. Clutching it in my palm, I ground my teeth and swore, if anyone were to ever touch it again, I'd certainly kill them.

"L-Lady Mira! I'm here to assist you into your g-gown!"

Looking up, I found a young maid, she wasn't too much older than me. She wore rounded classes and appeared to be very frazzled.

"Gown?" I asked, raising myself from the bed.

"Y-yes, miss. The young master has prepared a variety of dresses for you to wear for your stay here," she said, giving me a bow. I looked down at the clothing that had been prepared for me and nearly bit my tongue when I saw the laces of a corset among them. I sighed and resigned myself to my fate. Although I was very familiar with wearing a corset due to my line of work, I had been getting very comfortable with the… freedom of not wearing anything underneath my clothes, not even a bra. I suppose that's why I've been provided with one though. Why a corset though? And why a dress? Was modern clothing not a thing here in Ciel's mansion? Even his butler wore a tailed coat. I sighed and shook my head before turning to the maid.

"I'll just need help with the corset. I'm Mira and you are…?"

"Mei-rin, My Lady!" she replied, almost happily shocked that I'd asked for her name. I gave her a smile, my gut already telling me that I'd like her as a friend rather than an enemy.

After cleaning up and dressing, Mei-rin lead me down to the dining room where I would be eating a late breakfast with Ciel. He was seated at the head of the table, his black butler at his side. I felt my heart give a light flutter when my gaze met his. I quickly looked away. Fear? No, something else… But I didn't know what.

"Please, have a seat, Lady Mira," Ciel gestured. I stared at the long table for a moment longer than I should have. After a minute of thought, I walked all the way up the table until I'd come to Ciel's side and took the seat to his immediate left. I wasn't about to shout all the way from across the room just to ask him my questions. Sebastian served me tea and placed before Ciel and me a plate of scones, cream, jam, and muffins. I waited until Ciel had gotten his own before I reached for mine.

"You haven't actually told me where I am or who you are exactly," I said before taking a bite of my jam covered scone. Ciel gave a low chuckle into his tea cup, placing it back onto its saucer before clasping his fingers together and resting his elbows on the table.

"I assure you, Lady Mira, you are nowhere you haven't already been. Or should I say will be?" Ciel said, his eye looking over at me in humor and curiosity.

"Where am I?" I demanded, placing my half eaten scone back onto my plate. Ciel leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other.

"You, Lady Mira Phantomhive, are in the Phantomhive manor and I am the Earl Ciel Phantomhive. It seems we are relatives and you are very far from home."

I stared at him for a long minute, the bitten off portion of my scone still only half chewed and resting on my tongue. A bitter taste suddenly entered my mouth. I spat out the scone onto my plate, before pushing away from the table and standing up so fast that the chair was knocked off its legs.

"That's impossible," I ground out, glaring at the boy with something like loathing in my eyes.

"Earl Ciel Phantomhive disappeared a long time ago, before I was even born. And… And I don't even live in England, I haven't been there since I was born! A-and the Phantomhive manor was burned a long time ago, not even the pillars was left behind! It was just a huge pile of ash! There's nothing left of it, I assure you!" I argued, backing away from the table and shaking my head vigorously.

"And I assure you, Lady Mira, that the Phantomhive Manor is where you are. Do you remember that white haired man? The man in the trench coat, the one who came to visit you in your place of work?" Ciel continued drinking his tea. I gave a slight nod, my eyes beginning to tear up at the absurdity of this.

"I don't know his name, he was just a customer," I said, the man's face very clear in my mind.

"He wasn't a very good customer though, was he?" I heard a voice at my ear. I jumped back and stumbled into a warm chest.

"Sebastian," I gasped. When had he left the Earl's side? The butler placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned closer to my ear. "He gave you a little push, did he?"

"And then you fell in front of my carriage, years before your time," Ciel continued. My eyes darted up to meet his. He was standing before me now, his hand stroking my hair.

"You go about explaining this in a very difficult way, you know that?" I commented breathily. Ciel gave a small laugh. "Are you saying that, that man… pushed me back in time? That he somehow teleported me back in time to fall in front of your carriage? That's ridiculous! Impossible!"

"And yet something impossible is what you wished for. I suppose he only gave you what you asked for," the Earl said, pulling back and resting his fingers over his thumb.

"But that's –"

" – Not entirely impossible. Not with the help of the… supernatural, I guess you could say," Ciel cut me off. "Look around you, Lady Mira. There are no towers, no cellphones, not even an automobile. But if that's not enough to convince you, then tell me, what is this?" Ciel held out his hand. I stared into his eye for a moment, before slowly lowering my gaze to his outstretched hand. There it rest, loosely placed upon his thumb. It was too big for his finger. The Phantomhive heirloom. I placed my hand over my chest and felt the ring nestled snug between my breasts. I stared and stared and saw no flaw, no mark that it was a fake. I took a deep breath. There was no doubt that it was the one and only, the original heirloom that marked the Head of the House Hold of the Phantomhive Manor.

"How – ?"

"As I've said, Lady Mira, something impossible is not so impossible with the assistance of the supernatural. The man that you met was an angel, a creature far more sick and twisted than the mind of a demon. I'm not sure of the reason why you've been sent here, if not for some game that he had conjured. Either way, this is not your time and you are not meant to be here. We will search for a way in which to send you back and in the meantime you will stay here. Sebastian, you will look after Lady Mira's wellbeing. Ensure her comfort, show her all of the respect of a Phantomhive, and obey any orders she may give you," Ciel turned to me as he gave Sebastian his orders. "I will find the beast that has done this as well. Take your time and think about what is to be done to him. There are far worse things he has manipulated in your life."

"Worse things? What do you mean? I've never met him before –"

"Trust me, Lady Mira, he has. But it is not my place to tell you, you have to remember for yourself."

And with that the conversation was over. The Earl finished his tea and his scone and went back to his study with a simple order for his butler, "Bring me something sweet to eat later, Sebastian."

"Lady Mira, would you like to finish your breakfast?" the butler asked me with a smile. It was then that I became largely aware of the fact that I was clutching fistfuls of his jacket in my hands. I quickly released him and hurried forward to pick up the chair I'd knocked over.

"I-I'm sorry, Sebastian. I didn't mean to…"

"Of course not," he replied, pushing me in to the table. For a while I ate in silence, I could hear the sound of my teeth grinding together as I chewed my food and the tick of the grandfather clock on the other side of the room. I placed my scone back down on my plate.

"Do you really believe it?" I asked almost in a whisper.

"Believe what, Lady Mira?" Sebastian replied, his voice at my side.

"In the supernatural? That one person can be in the present one day and in the past the next?" I nearly shook my head at the absurdity. "I was a waitress at Maid Café just the other day and now… I'm in Victorian London? It all sounds so crazy."

"Surely the superstitions weren't lost over the years?" Sebastian commented, pouring me another cup of tea. I shook my head 'no'.

"No, not lost. Superstitions are all just stories and folklore, they aren't real. Or at least… they weren't. Now I'm not so sure." I let the steam of the tea waft over my face. "I'm not so sure what to believe in now…" I murmured to myself. A gloved hand suddenly rest over my own. I turned and looked into the butler's eyes. They were a raging fuchsia, colors swirling and turning in the depths of his irises.

"Are you one of them?" I asked just above a whisper. Sebastian smiled at me and released my hand.

"I must prepare lunch. Mei-rin will clear away your dishes once you've finished," Sebastian said, giving me a bow before he made his leave. I watched as he left and placed a hand over my racing heart. My face felt hot. He had been so close, I didn't know how to react and the words just left my mouth. I looked down at my plate. Suddenly, I wasn't very hungry anymore.

It was that night the nightmares began to plague my sleep.

 _It was raining outside, the ferocity of the thunder and lightning shook the whole of the manor and lit up the sky as if it were daylight. I walked down the hall, my hand following the crevice in the wall so as to guide my way down the unlit path._

 _"_ _Renly?" I called out, seeing a line of light breaking through the darkness of the night. I pushed open the door, just a smidge, and gazed inside. "Renly?" I repeated. I heard the sound of glass falling to the floor and shattering._

 _"_ _Ren!" I gasped and thrust the door open all the way, running inside the room without a moment's notice. I gasped at the pain of a shard piercing the flesh of my foot, but it was not the pain that stopped me in my tracks. A figure, a man, and a woman, and…_

 _"_ _Renly?" I whispered shakily. The woman gasped, her hands reaching for me as if to shield me from something._

 _"_ _Mira, don't look!"_

I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart beating behind my ears. I placed my hands over my eyes and tried to recall what I had just seen, but the dream was quickly slipping from my grasp. All too soon, it was gone, but the fear it had instilled had not yet left me.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart beating behind my ears. I placed my hands over my eyes and tried to recall what I had just seen, but the dream was quickly slipping from my grasp. All too soon, it was gone, but the fear it had instilled had not yet left me.

"Lady Mira?" a soft voice called out to me. I peeked out between my fingers and found Mei-rin at the side of my bed. My breath was shaky and I did not think I could speak a coherent word just yet. So, I just shook my head and motioned for a cup of water. She handed me the glass, but my hands were trembling so hard, that it fell from my grasp and shattered on the floor.

"Lady Mira!"

I just stared down at the broken glass, echoes of my dream ringing vaguely in my head.

"Don't look?" I whispered. "Don't look at what?" I couldn't remember, but I knew, it was a sight that I had already seen before the words had left her mouth.

After I had washed my face and dressed, I decided to take a walk around the mansion. I gazed all around me at the portraits, the artwork, the woodwork. Everything was so foreign and yet so familiar. I vaguely remembered living here in the mansion as a child, but the memories were much too hazy to recall. I reached out and touched the wall, the crevice in the stone, and stopped. I couldn't remember the face of my mother or the face of my father. All I could see was Mina, the woman that had taken me in after my parents' death when I was eight years old. I bit my lip. After my eighteenth birthday, Mina had cast me out and disappeared.

 _"You're old enough to take care of yourself now, my job is done_ ," she'd said before closing the door in my face with my bags packed at my feet.

I'd had to quit school, find a fulltime job, and work from sun up until sun down. I'd done a variety of jobs from working at a bakery, being a concierge at a small business, trying my hand at accounting at a local bank, waitressing, fast food. It wasn't until I met Gai that I really settled down in a line of work. It wasn't that I enjoyed being a maid, of the sorts, but I enjoyed their company and the friendship that they provided. I even enjoyed the customers. It was _fun_. Before then, I don't really remember ever having fun. I don't remember… Renly?

"Lady Mira"

I jumped back in surprise and removed my hand from the wall.

"Oh, it's you, Sebastian. You startled me," I said in a huff. I nearly pissed myself.

"My apologies, Lady Mira. I didn't mean to frighten you," Sebastian said, though his voice showed no signs of concern or care. In fact, I thought I saw humor in those ruby eyes of his. "Young Master wishes to speak with you before Lady Elizabeth arrives. He'll receive you in his study. If you'll follow me?"

It's already been a month since I first arrived here at the Phantomhive Manor and it didn't seem like we were any closer to getting me home than we were when we first began searching for a way. It wasn't just that though, this place was strange, these people were strange. Finni, the gardener of the mansion, had the strength of a thousand men in a single arm, and Mei-rin… her sight was sharp and her aim was sharper. I'd seen her in the courtyard, when she thought no one was around. She had a rifle in her hands, her glasses safely tucked away in the pocket of her skirt. And Bard was either a genius or an idiot, maybe both. There've been several instances when he had decided to use a flamethrower in the kitchen to cook meat and ended up blowing up the entirety of the kitchen and anything nearby, like the tree just outside the wall in the gardens. But the strangest of all was Ciel Phantomhive himself and his butler. Although Ciel had hid it well in the beginning, I began to notice how his eyes shifted from blue to red. At first I thought it was just my imagination or a trick of the light, but it happened so often that I had to admit to myself that I wasn't seeing things. And although I hadn't seen Sebastian's eyes shift since I first came here, I know that he has the ability too. They were cunning creatures though, whatever they were. Cunning and cautious.

Sebastian opened the door to the Earl's study and motioned me through. I clutched at the skirts of my dress, wondering over and over if all of this was just a dream. Every day I even gave myself a little pinch just to be sure I was awake, and every time it hurt. Ciel was seated at his desk, a paper in his left hand and a cup of tea in his right. Upon my entry he placed both on the top of his desk and gave me his full attention.

"Lady Mira, have a seat," he motioned for me to sit opposite him. I sat obediently.

"I have no clues as to how to get you home just yet. That's not what this meeting is about," Ciel said, quickly crushing any hopes I'd had building up to this point. "I'd like to discuss tonight's… party." Ciel seemed to grow uncomfortable. "Listen," he leaned forward. "Lady Elizabeth will be here for… she's my… fiancée and –"

"You want me to stay out of sight until she leaves because she gets jealous, right?" I interrupted. It wasn't that I had guessed it by putting the pieces of his stuttering together, though it wouldn't have been hard to figure out, but Sebastian had previewed me a little on the way here and confided in me that the Earl was rather nervous of the subject.

"Ah – yes, that would be preferable. Not to give any offense to you, Lady Mira," Ciel said almost in apology. I shook my head at him.

"It's no offense, I understand. Even though we're relatives, no one knows that or can know that apart from members of this household. I don't want to trouble you with anything after the hospitality you have shown me, so I have no problems with staying out of the way," I replied, though I couldn't deny the fact that it was a little disappointing. I really wanted to meet Lady Elizabeth, she was my great great (I don't know how many greats) grandmother and I remember hearing stories about her rambunctious personality from my… My brows wrinkled in pain. I clutched my head and bit my lip to try and force back the pain. It hurt trying to remember. I had never tried so hard in my life. Sure, I had always felt as if something was missing but I had never been so curious about it until I had met Ciel and his butler and they told me of something I had forgotten, but needed to remember.

"Mira," a voice called; I felt a single tear slide down my nose. A hand rested on my forehead and I found myself leaning in to its warmth. This was a scent I recognized, a scent that I had grown to enjoy over this past month.

"Sebastian," I murmured. "Why does it hurt trying to remember?" I asked. I truly wanted to know.

"Because it was sealed. Your memories are shrouded by a wall and right now you have to either climb it or tear it down. Otherwise, if the seal breaks, as it will over time, all of your blocked memories will come flooding back to you at once and it can render you unconscious… for a long while," Sebastian replied, assisting me by applying a cold compress to my head.

"Who sealed it?" I questioned. It was silent for a long while before I received my answer. And what did he mean by 'a long while'?

"We believe it to be the work of a demon," Ciel answered. I looked up at him; I had almost forgotten he was in the room. I was so aware of Sebastian that everyone else in the room seemed to disappear.

"A demon? Not an angel?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"No, the workmanship of an angel differs from that of a demon. Since nearly the whole of your memories from the beginning of your childhood up until the point you were eight is missing, we believe it to be the work of a demon. An angel doesn't really block off certain memories, but rather changes them to fit their preferences or needs," Sebastian explained. I nodded to show that I understood him, even though all of this sounded so crazy.

I handed Sebastian the compress and smiled in my thanks. After straightening my skirt, I gave Ciel a bow and turned to make my leave.

"Lady Mira, there is one other thing we'd like to discuss with you," Ciel halted my retreat. I turned back and stared at him with questioning eyes.

"Please, sit. You'll want to for this one. It's time I informed you of my contract, seeing as you're family and that this has already affected your bloodline."

And so he told me. He didn't go into much detail of his past, but he told me of what Sebastian was, of the terms of their contract, and of what he now was too. At first I didn't believe it, but the proof was stamped black on Sebastian's hand and a glowing mark in Ciel's right eye.

"Is that why your eyes change color?" I had asked and Ciel nodded.

"I've been working on controlling that, but I seem to slip every now and then."

He then told me of his plans to follow Sebastian into the Netherworld so as to learn to control his newly acquired body and all of the perks that comes with it. Tonight was the goodbye party that he was hosting for Lady Elizabeth.

"I hope to resurface at a later time after I've mastered all that is needed in this body, but that may take very many years for me to accomplish and I'd like to give Lizzie a proper goodbye before I leave. I hope to be back in time for us to be wed. Sebastian assures me that this body will grow until it's reached its highest potential, before the wheels of time halt its growth. I may grow older, but I will never grow old," Ciel said, a humorless smile adorning his face.

"What do you mean it had already affected my bloodline?" I asked with a furrowed brow. Ciel took a sip of his tea.

"You're the living proof of my being able to return and produce an heir. After all, I am the only remaining Phantomhive of this time. You also have more about you… An air of mysticism, I suppose. A trait that only those of the supernatural possess. But it's dull, which shows that it's a blood that's been diluted over time," Ciel replied. I shook my head, an immediate denial crawling its way up my throat.

"But I'm normal," I argued. Ciel nodded and tilted his head,

"Mostly, but not entirely."

"I don't think I believe you," I clutched at my skirts. Ciel gave a hearty laugh.

"Believe what you will, Lady Mira."

I bit my bottom lip and stood from my chair. After placing my hand over the door knob, I peeked around my shoulder, a blush forming over my cheeks.

"Sebastian…" I called out almost nervously. "Could you show me the way back to my room?"

He bowed, a wicked smile crossing his face as if to mock my lack of direction.

"Certainly, My Lady."

As Sebastian showed me the way through the mansion, I ransacked my brain for topics of conversation, but came up empty. Wasn't there anything we could talk about? Anything we might have in common? I nearly scoffed at my own thoughts. Of course there were no similarities about us, we were living in different centuries. He had never known what I was accustomed to. I gave myself a flick on the forehead. It was pointless trying to grow closer to him in the first place. A demon knew nothing about love, or even cared about it. Not to mention I'd have to return to my time period once a way back was found. My thoughts had left me paying no mind to my surroundings or where I was walking, so I found it a huge shock when I suddenly went barreling into the back of the Earl's butler. I very nearly stumbled to the floor, but Sebastian caught my wrist and forced me upright. His face was very close, staring in to the very depths of my eyes.

"Are you nervous around me, Lady Mira?" the corner of his mouth was upturned in a half grin. My heart began to flutter. He was mocking me.

"I can hear it, you know. The sound of your heart, how it pounds faster the closer I get, the longer I stare." It was, without a doubt, mockery. I yanked my arm out of his grasp and clutched it to my chest. I glared at him for a good long while before turning up my chin and pushing on the door to my bedroom.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Sebastian. You're losing your head," I argued then slammed the door shut behind me. I waited for the sound of his footsteps retreating down the hall to fade before I relaxed against the door and let myself take in as much air my lungs would allow.

"That little demon hears everything, dammit. That's fucking ridiculous. How am I supposed to deal with this?" I muttered to myself, pulling up my knees to my chest. It wasn't until the cold tile of the floor had settled into my buttocks that I'd noticed the room I was in wasn't my bedroom. My hand flew to my forehead and there gave it a very sound smack.

"I'm in the bathroom," I groaned and banged my head against the door. I furrowed my brow and bit my tongue. I refused to ask for his help again, he'd probably lead me to the wrong room again. Puffing up my cheeks as if I were preparing for battle, I hoisted myself up onto my feet and yanked open the bathroom door. And then promptly slammed it shut once more, my cheeks blazing a firetruck red.

"He was supposed to have left," I whispered to myself, before pinching myself for speaking my thoughts out loud. Not that it really mattered, he could probably read my thoughts too. I quickly ran over to the sink and splashed water on my face trying to cool it down before I built up the courage to open the door once more.

"Freshening up, Lady Mira?" Sebastian questioned upon my exiting of the washroom. The smiling expression on his face said that he knew what had really happened. But, hell, if he was going to play along, so be.

"Y-yeah, of course." Dammit, I'm a horrible liar. I should never go into acting. It's not my thing. Lying isn't my thing. I stared down at my feet. I followed behind Sebastian until we came to a mahogany door three doors down from the one I had entered before.

"Here is your room, Lady Mira. I will bring your dinner once it is ready," Sebastian said and gave me a slight bow as he turned to leave. I reached out a hand to stop him, but let it fall back to my side.

"He's a demon," I whispered below my breath and then opened the door to my bedroom.

"It's his face that I like," I said to myself as I brushed my hair in front of the vanity mirror. I watched as my reflection copied my movements, the motion of the brush in my hands and the words on my mouth. I placed the brush back into its respective place and closed the drawer. Just moments before Sebastian had delivered me my supper and it still sat in its place on the cart he had delivered it on. I didn't really want to eat it. Not that it looked or smelled bad, it actually smelled quite wonderful. I just had no appetite. It's been hours since I'd last eaten, but I didn't want it. So, I left it where it sat and crawled into bed. I didn't even bother drinking the tea he'd placed at my bedside. I placed a handkerchief over the cup to block out the steam wafting into the air.

"I want to go home," I yawned, tears of sleepiness forming in the corners of my eyes. It wasn't that I was homesick. Honestly, there was little to nothing to go home to. But… the longer I stayed here, the longer I gazed upon him. It's just a simple infatuation, like fans have for movie stars and idols. I let my eyes fall closed.

"I don't love him," I told myself just before the darkness devoured my consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

_Lightning struck just outside the window and stirred me from my bed. I didn't even reach out for a candle, I just leaped from the blankets and began heading down the hallway. Thunder roared overhead and shook the whole of the house. It felt as if the walls were trembling so hard that they'd crumble in an instant. I let my hand follow the crevice in the wall while my free hand clutched at the skirts of my night gown._

 _"_ _Renly?" I called out, my eyes finding that strip of light in the darkness. His room wasn't far from mine and he had spent many nights staying up just to read through all of the books in the library. He hadn't even made a dent in all of the years that we'd lived here and all of the nights he'd spent staying up just to read. He never cared what kind of book it was. Whether it was boring, old, new, interesting, exciting, or full of numbers. He'd read it if it got him that much closer to getting him to his wish._

 _"_ _Renly?" I called out once more, placing my hand on the ajar door. I hear the sound of glass shattering and burst into the room in a panic._

 _"_ _Ren!"_

 _Books were strewn all across the room, the black curtains that covered the windows thrashed in the wind of a storm. Lightning flashed and thunder roared._

 _"_ _Mira, don't look!"_

 _A figure, a man and a woman, and… the floor was stained red._

 _"_ _Renly?" My lips trembled as I spoke his name._

I found myself in the library early in the morning the next day, scanning over the spines of thousands of books just to see if there was one I'd recognize. But there was nothing and my memories seemed to grow duller every day. My dreams never seemed to stay in my memory for long, within an hour I couldn't remember how it had started or ended. There was only one thing I was certain of: Renly. It was just a name, or at least I assumed it was. It could have been the title of a book or poem, of maybe even an author's pen name. I didn't even know if it was real, but it stuck in my head like glue does to paper. Whatever it was, I clung to it in hopes of finding the truth. I couldn't remember anything from before my eighth year and I was crazed to know why.

I walked along the book shelves, my eyes scanning over the leather bound, the paper back, and the hard back books that had all been collected over the years by various members of the Phantomhive family. I turned a corner and stumbled across a rather surprising sight. A single chair by a small fire place, shrouded in seclusion at the back of the library. The Earl rest in a lazy fashion over its cushions, his elbow leaning on the arm of the chair and his clasped fist holding up his sleeping face. Beside him sat a small table which held a lukewarm cup of tea, a plate of a half-eaten cake, and a black leather bound book who's lock had been unfastened. Had my gaze not been drawn away from the Earl's sleeping face to the black book, I might've cooed at how peaceful and innocent he looked, fawned over the childlike expression that overcame his face when he was encased in slumber. Instead, I took two slow steps forward, my hand reaching out to touch the soft, wrinkled leather. It was much harder than I was expecting, but the sleek black glinted in the low lighting of the candles.

"I've seen this before," I murmured to myself as I withdrew my hand. Biting my lip, I turned my attention away and slid the shawl off of my shoulders, draping it across Ciel to give him better warmth. Falling asleep here could cause him to catch a cold. I smiled at that thought. Do demons even get sick?

"How kind of you to look after my master."

I leaped a good three feet away from Ciel and jerked around to see who had scared the literal begeezies out of me. I placed my hand over my heart and felt the already quick pace speed up.

"Sebastian, you scared me," I breathed. It didn't feel as if I were breathing oxygen anymore.

"My apologies, Lady Mira," Sebastian smiled as if my fright had amused him. I shook my head then motioned towards Ciel with my chin.

"You should put him to bed, he might… get cold," I said as a way to distract myself from my rising nervousness. Sebastian sighed and gave his master a false worrisome look.

"Honestly, my master enjoys sleep too much. It's not even needed for him anymore," he said, gently lifting Ciel into his arms as if he were a fragile child. I gaped at him.

"Sleep isn't needed?" I muttered under my breath. I didn't mean to say the words out loud, but sure enough, he heard.

"We have recreational sleep, but even then it's mostly just to pass the time," he answered honestly.

"Well, _I_ sleep," I said, almost as if I were finding flaw in his explanation.

"Yes, Lady Mira, you sleep. You're made up mostly of human genes, so most, if not all, of your necessities comes from that of a human. I also expect that you are very much mortal, so you age at almost the same rate of a human – from what information I've gathered, of course."

"You've been gathering information on me?" I huffed as if doing so was some kind of huge insult. Sebastian threw back a close eyed smile.

"Of course."

I shook my head and almost laughed aloud, but I muffled my giggles with the palm of my hand so as not to wake Ciel.

"Did I say something funny?" Sebastian asks, his eyes seemingly gentle in the candlelight.

"No. Not at all," I replied and left it at that. Honestly, I had no reason for laughing. I just found it amusing that I had _expected_ that answer from him. Perhaps I was beginning to get to know him.

When I revisited the library later that evening, I found that the dessert plate and tea cup were now missing, but the black leather bound book still sat in its place as before, unlocked and untouched. I cast my gaze around me. From outside the window the sun was beginning to set and the sky was ablaze with a dark, vibrant orange. It was just me, alone in the library. The urge to delve into the contents of the unlocked book were almost overwhelming. The shape of the lock, the texture of the cover, the scent of its pages were all too familiar, but I couldn't understand why. I let my hands to the wandering of their own accord, and found my fingers flipping over the front cover.

Property of Ciel Phantomhive it read in neat penmanship. I immediately closed the book and set it back in its respective place. I stared at it for a good long minute before clicking the lock just to ensure my curiosity did not get the best of me.

"You didn't think it was an interesting read?"

I gasped and bumped into one of the book shelves, effectively knocking down several books from their perch. There wasn't a single speck of dust in the air.

"I didn't look," I immediately defended. Ciel gave a low chuckle and waved off my words.

"You seemed very interested in it before and even now. Why is that?" He wondered, tilting his head to the side and gazing at me in curiosity. I felt nervous at getting caught red handed even though I hadn't actually seen its contents, but the feeling was still there. I had touched it afterall.

"I feel as if I've seen this before," I said after a dry swallow.

"Oh?" Ciel said, pushing for more. "Is there something you remember?"

I shook my head and bit my lip.

"There's just this… feeling. And a name, but I don't know what any of it means. I don't even get bits and pieces, just a random sense of déjà vu," I responded, disappointment clouding my voice.

"It's alright, don't force it. What's this name that you've remembered?"

I sighed, "Renly. It's really not even a name that I remembered on my own, I just heard it in a dream."

"And what did you dream about?" Ciel inquired.

"That's the thing, I don't remember anything about my dreams after I've woken up. There's just the name and…" I stopped short.

"And… what?"

"When I wake up, it feels as if my heart is in my throat, as if… I'd seen something I shouldn't have."

"What is it that you think you saw?" the Earl took a step towards me. I shook my head.

"I don't know, but there is one thing I'm sure of," I said, clutching at the skirt of my dress.

"And what's that?"

"That I got caught."

Once again I ate dinner in my quarters, but I didn't mind it very much. Mei-rin, Finni, and Baldroy came to see how I was doing and check that I had everything that I needed. There wasn't anything they had to worry about though, Sebastian had long since secured that I was comfortable in every way possible. He really was one hell of a butler (a saying that I often heard Sebastian utter to guests that gave him high praise). It wouldn't be long now that Ciel and Sebastian would retreat to the Netherworld. They'd given their goodbyes in the most subtle way as possible (no one truly knew of their intentions to leave, apart from myself). They were simply putting off their journey in order to tie up a few loose ends and possibly find a way to get me back before their departure. It didn't seem as if we were making any kind of progress on that end though, but I didn't feel trapped in this time. I rather enjoyed spending my days here at the Phantomhive Estate. Every day I was learning new things, not only about my family history, but a large variety of things. Mei-rin had even offered to show me how to fire a rifle and Baldroy told me of war stories while Finni showed me how he could uproot an entire tree with his bare hands. I had become quite fond of the Phantomhive servants as well as Ciel. They were becoming more and more like family to me, it was a feeling I hadn't felt in what was my entire life. It was foreign to me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I almost regretted having to return to my own time period, but I knew it was something I had to do. I didn't belong here, this wasn't my world and there were truths that I would have to discover from my own past and I couldn't do that here. It hadn't happened yet.


End file.
